Drought situation set to continue and worsen

The drought situation that is affecting 42 provinces has worsened according to a report from the Department of Disaster Prevention.

In Chainart Province on Saturday it took more than ten fire trucks two hours to put out a drought related bush fire according to officials who said there were no injuries or deaths reported.

In Nong Khai province lychee fams have been suffering from water shortages as the drought has ravished the area for the last few months, greatly affecting production. Farmers have said that some of the lychee trees could not continue to withstand the arid conditions and had withered away.

According to the DDPM the majority of the 42 provinces that have suffered the most due to the drought are in the northern and northeastern regions. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department expects that a tropical storm will hit both areas as well as the central region, and extending into the eastern provinces during the last few days of the month.

This overall area will experience heavy thunderstorms, gusty winds and, in some zones, hailstorms. The department reported that April 27th may have been the hottest day of the year.